K9 Identifies Three Storage Units Full of Drugs, Guns in Grants Pass

K9 'Match' helped detectives and officers make an arrest connected to large quantities of meth, heroin, cocaine, cash and firearms.

Posted: Dec. 13, 2018 11:01 AM

Posted By: Jamie Parfitt

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — One man is behind bars and a plethora of drugs and guns are in police custody after a K9 helped officers with a traffic stop earlier this week, according to Rogue Area Drug Enforcement (RADE).

RADE detectives had long been investigating 41-year-old Alejandro "Alex" Mendeola. On Tuesday, they brought that investigation to a close with the help of Grants Pass Police officers and their drug-sniffing K9 "Match," RADE said.

First, patrol officers stopped Mendeola in his vehicle in A-1 Mini Storage — where Mendeola had three rented storage units, RADE said. Mendeola was apparently getting into one of those units at the time.

As officers performed the stop, Match alerted on Mendeola's vehicle. A search of the car uncovered about a half-pound of methamphetamine, 3.5 ounces of heroin, two ounces of cocaine, and scales, packaging material and more than $1,100 in cash.

Then, officers unleashed Match on the storage units. According to RADE, the K9 found narcotics in all three — amounting to more than 10 pounds of meth, 1.08 pounds of heroin, and an assortment of 28 handguns and rifles. Five of those guns had been reported stolen.

"Mendeola is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing any firearms," RADE said in a statement.

The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with information or questions is asked to email rade@grantspassoregon.gov or call detectives at 541-955-6970.